Davos 2026 Pre-Read: The Voice(s) of Davos
Cometrics tracks how more than 10,000 senior corporate leaders communicate. In the lead-up to the World Economic Forum at Davos 2026, we are examining how executive voices are evolving through a three-part, event-driven series.
This opening piece — Davos 2026 Pre-Read: The Voice(s) of Davos — marks the first in a series that will include live summaries following the keynote sessions (21 January 2026) and a post-Davos wrap-up (23 January 2026).
Davos 2026 Pre-Read: The Voice(s) of Davos
Top decision-makers from government, business, and civil society are convening to address major global issues and priorities for the year ahead in the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from January 19 to January 23, 2026.
Last Year’s Echos and Most Effective Voices
Davos has always been where global narratives are tested. In recent years, however, something more subtle — and measurable — has shifted.
The official theme for Davos 2026, “A Spirit of Dialogue,” may read as an appeal for calm in an increasingly polarized world. Yet the language that resonates most strongly at Davos is no longer dominated by broad, purpose-driven declarations. Using Cometrics' unique dataset, we can reveal that the most effective voices now demonstrate:
- Technical specificity
- Operational credibility
- Measurable outcomes
This shift is most pronounced around Artificial Intelligence — and, perhaps unsurprisingly, National Security. Purpose has not disappeared, but it no longer stands on its own.
Let's take a look back at The World Economic Forum’s Davos 2025 most engaging speakers, and the relative trend of each theme - the shift away from "Purpose" is clear:
| Executive | Company | Top Theme | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravi Kumar S | Cognizant | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 100 |
| Larry Fink | BlackRock | Executive Leadership ↓ 71% | 84 |
| Janet Truncale | EY | Business Transparency ↓ 78% | 72 |
| Prasad Sankaran | Cognizant | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 62 |
| Mark Luquire | EY | Artificial Intelligence ↑ 100% | 57 |
| Mohamed Kande | PwC | Business Transparency ↓ 78% | 52 |
| Bill McDermott | ServiceNow | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 48 |
| Mauro Macchi | Accenture | Technology Ethics ↑ 225% | 38 |
| Ana Paula Assis | IBM | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 37 |
| Klaus Moosmayer | Novartis | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 33 |
| Patrick Horber | Novartis | Community Health ↓ 50% | 32 |
| Willem Uijen | Unilever | Technology Ethics ↑ 225% | 31 |
| Paolo Dal Cin | Accenture | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 30 |
| Jyoti Mehra | Gilead | Community Health ↓ 50% | 27 |
| Kate Brandt | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 27 | |
| Marc Benioff | Salesforce | Business Transparency ↓ 78% | 26 |
| Eva Maydell | EU Parliament | Business Transparency ↓ 78% | 25 |
| Rohit Jawa | Hindustan Unilever | Economic Impact ↑ 17% | 25 |
| Vimal Kapur | Honeywell | AI Ethics ↑ 67% | 25 |
| Hans Westberg | Verizon | Community Relations ↓ 135% | 24 |
Davos 2026 Cheat Sheet: How to Prepare Now
Many senior leaders have already begun referencing Davos 2026 — but history shows that conversation volume will begin to spike roughly two weeks before the event. Those who wait until arrival to define their message will be late to the conversation. What to do?
1. Align With the Real Conversation — Not Just the Official Theme
Every Davos has a headline theme. By the time the event opens, it is often overtaken by geopolitical or market realities. Engagement follows leaders who track emerging sub-themes — across executives, governments, and media — and adapt early. Cometrics can give you the complete picture, updated in real time.
2. Replace Abstract Purpose With Operational Clarity
Executives leaning heavily on sustainability or diversity narratives without tying them to concrete outcomes saw meaningful drops in engagement. Purpose resonates when leaders explain how it is delivered — through decisions, trade-offs, constraints, and second-order effects.
3. Prime the Audience Before Davos Begins
Executives who pre-seed their themes, publish viewpoints, and signal their agenda ahead of time consistently outperform those who speak only on panels.
At Davos, silence before arrival is rarely strategic. If you would like an advance or customized Davos report — tailored to your executives, competitors, or sectors — contact our team at [email protected].